Revealing Character: Texas Tintypes (Photographs Portraits) [Hardcover]

Robb Kendrick (Author), John Graves (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: Photographs Portraits | Publication Date: October 1, 2005

America's first major contribution to the art of photography, whcih dates back to the heyday of the cattle drives (1850-1880), tintypes went on to become the country's favorite portrait format. A tedious and unforgiving method of photography that requires patience and commitment from both the subject and the photographer, posing for a tintype requires more time than modern point-and-shoot photography, and instructions must be followed carefully or the photograph will be ruined. The tintypes-eighty-five in all-are showcased and are accompanied by field notes that provide a look at each individual and his or her dedication to the cowboy way of life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Using the cumbersome nineteenth century tintype method, National Geographic photographer Kendrick made a series of faux-antique portraits of some of the men (and one woman) who work as cowboys on Texas ranches today. Unlike Richard Avedon's similarly themed In the American West, this lavish book has no interest in the cultural contradictions inherent in the lives of those who deliberately try to evoke long-vanished and economically marginal ways of life-Kendrick is content to record the cowboys' images as lovingly as they would have themselves. In such an aesthetic, character is not revealed, but worn like chaps or an elaborately groomed mustache. The result is a book whose preening collective narcissism tips it over into the realm of camp. Perhaps sensing this, in his introduction Kendrick writes defensively, "The point of this project has not been to romanticize the cowboy and transport him back to the 19th century, but to document those who carry on the traditions, values and lifestyles that many today would find isolating, lonely or simply too hard." This sheer nonsense compounds the book's fervid glorification of its already self-romanticizing subjects with the implication that they are somehow better than those people who work in office buildings. And in a world where the figure of the Texas "cowboy" has become symbolic for very different reasons, this book-financed by a bank and conceived by an advertising agency-has a political subtext that's hard to ignore.
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Review

". . . the book of the year in Texas . . . an elegant tribute to the working cowboy." -- Bryan-College Station Eagle

"A true labor of love." -- San Antonio Express-News

"Robb Kendrick has captured the timeless essence of the cowboy." -- Brilliant magazine

"The images truly portray the spirit of Texas cowboys--determination, integrity, humility and a strong work ethic." -- Continental magazine

"The portrait . . . tells a timeless tale of American life, American dreams and the American frontier." -- Abilene Reporter News

"True artistry." -- Dallas Morning News

"When I first saw the cowboy photographs, my eyes played a trick on my mind." -- Brilliant magazine

"a fascinating book of portraits. They, like the mythology that sometimes surrounds cowboys, are far from finely focused." -- Fort Worth Start-Telegram

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 196 pages
• Publisher: Bright Sky Press; 1St Edition edition (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931721572
• ISBN-13: 978-1931721578
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 10.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #278,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A compilation of black-and-white portraits of hard-working inheritors to an esteemed tradition, April 10, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Revealing Character: Texas Tintypes (Photographs Portraits) (Hardcover)

Revealing Character: Texas Tintypes by Robb Kendrick is a compilation of black-and-white photography of modern-day Texas American cowboys taken via the historical ferrotype or "tintype" method used in the 19th century. The result is a compilation of black-and-white portraits of hard-working inheritors to an esteemed tradition. Each individual photographed contributes a handful of quotes on the opposing page of his portrait: "The freedom of being out in open country is unlike any other feeling. You can't trade that feeling for money." These are men who spend their lives working with animals, love what they do, and tell it like it is. An afterword, an index of subjects, and a map of the state of Texas showing the ranches where the photographs were taken rounds out this "must-have" collection for cowboy fans of all backgrounds.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True cowboys captured by old technique., March 19, 2006

By 

Becky Wreyford (Junction, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Revealing Character: Texas Tintypes (Photographs Portraits) (Hardcover)

The photos in this book, using the old "tintype" photography technique, capture today's cowboys in an amazing light. Young & old, I think most people don't realize there are still people who make a living this way. Their quotes reveal the type of character we identify as truly American, but have come to believe, like their profession, belongs to a bygone era. How wonderful to know it's alive & well. Put this book on your coffee table & see how often it gets looked at, and better yet, read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real Cowboys..., January 1, 2006

By 

S. Campbell "MsKountry" (North Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Revealing Character: Texas Tintypes (Photographs Portraits) (Hardcover)

I guess I'm alittle partial to this book because my brother is in it. But even if that wasn't the case, it's nice to see the faces of the Real Cowboys of today. These Cowboys are what makes Texas what it is, they are the real deal. You can see young cowboys and old cowboys alike, from the new blood just learning the ropes to the oldest cowboy with the years of hard work written all over his face. I'm very impressed with the way this book was done...and am hoping for more to come. This is my new coffee table book.